Bureau Veritas (Italy)

Background: the nature of alpha-D-mannose - natural aldohexose sugar, C-2 glucose epimer, whose intended use is for preventing urinary tract infections - in the interaction with E. coli is addressed in order to drive the issue of its regulatory classification as a medicinal product or medical device. Methods: PRISMA systematic review approach was applied; Delphi Panel method used to target consensus on statements retrieved from evidence. Results: Based of regulatory definitions and research evidences, the mechanism of D-mannose does not involve a metabolic or immunological action while there is an uncertainty regarding the pharmacological action. Specific interaction between the product and the bacteria within the body occurs, but its nature is inert: it does not induce a direct response activating or inhibiting body processes. Moreover, the action of D-mannose takes place, even if inside the bladder, outside the epithelium on bacteria that have not yet invaded the urothelial tissue. Therefore, its mechanism of action is not directed to host structures but to structures (bacteria) external to the host's tissues. Conclusions: From a regulatory perspective, D-mannose maintains the current medical device classification: new regulations and legal judgments can add further considerations. From a pharmacological perspective, research is driven versus synthetic mannosides: no further considerations are expected on alpha-D-mannose.

Most tidal turbine blades are currently made from glass or carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composites. These represent a significant part of the turbine cost, but few data are available either to validate current safety factors or to propose alternative more environmentally-friendly materials. This study, performed within the EU H2020 RealTide project, aimed to provide these data. First, a detailed investigation of the static and fatigue behavior was performed at the coupon scale, including not only those materials currently used, but also alternative recyclable thermoplastic matrix composites and natural fibre reinforced materials. Tests were performed before and after seawater saturation, in order to quantify the change in design properties with water uptake. Then a first full scale 5 meter long composite blade was designed and tested to failure. A specific test frame was built, allowing loads up to 75 tons to be applied and simulating the applied moments corresponding to service loads. Static and cyclic loads were applied and extensive instrumentation was used to detect changes in behavior, inluding optical fibres implanted during manufacture, acoustic emission recording, and specific instrumentation developed within the project. The results have enabled numerical simulations to be verified, and this has provided confidence in the modelling tools. These were then employed in order to propose an improved design of a lower cost blade.

La extracción de compuestos bioactivos de Pleurotus ostreatus por maceración dinámica, es un proceso sencillo y económico, que normalmente presenta baja eficiencia. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el proceso de extracción para determinar qué tratamiento permite la mayor eficiencia, analizando la influencia de los factores de estudio: concentración de etanol (50 %, 80 %, 95 %) y relación sólido/solvente (1:10, 1:20, 1:30). Se maceraron 5 g de polvo fúngico en etanol acuoso durante 90 minutos, a 150 rpm, 25 °C y tamaño de partícula de 0,5 a 1,0 mm. Se trataron los datos mediante estadística paramétrica con un nivel de confianza del 95 %. Los resultados revelaron que la mayor eficiencia de extracción total (40,9 %) en base seca se obtuvo con etanol al 50 % y una relación sólido/solvente de 1:30. Por componentes se encontró que, el etanol al 50 % con una relación de 1:20 permitió la máxima eficiencia para carbohidratos totales (17,9 %) y polisacáridos (17,2 %), mientras que con una relación de 1:30 se obtuvo la máxima eficiencia para azúcares reductores (0,91 %) y polifenoles (0,23 %). Por otro lado, el etanol al 95 % y la relación 1:30 permitió la máxima eficiencia para proteínas (29,4 %). La extracción de beta-glucanos no fue significativa. La eficiencia de la extracción está muy influenciada por los parámetros de operación, principalmente por la concentración de etanol; en particular, la de 50 % resultó más favorable para la obtención de la mayoría de sustancias bioactivas con potencial nutracéutico.

By reviewing the process of Asset Integrity Management applied from the design phase, continued through the in-service life and obsolescence considerations for decommissioning, this paper presents a view of managing the safety and operational efficiency of floating structures. The paper will go through the presentation of a didactic process ensuring the Asset Integrity of the structure in answering a few questions: How to ensure a correct knowledge of the offshore facilities' condition? What are the main degradation processes threatening the facilities? What will be the response of a facility to the main threats over the years? How to implement a cost-effective Inspection Strategy? Answers to those questions will involve various services embedded into a global Integrity Management process such as CFD and hydrodynamics, structural FEM calculations, condition monitoring, Risk-Based Inspection strategy and 3D geometric models for visualization and reporting. Established at design phase and updated during the in-service life of the Unit, this global Asset Integrity process for the structure will support and optimize the inspection programme based on risk considerations by focusing on the most critical elements to the safety. Besides an OPEX cost reduction by optimizing the inspection efforts, the engineering services that are parts of the Asset Integrity Management are fully embedded into that global process. This brings another cut in costs by saving time and thus cost when performing engineering analysis.